How to Interpret Nutrition Drink Test

Park, Moo In

Abstract

Nutrient drink test is one of the drink test techniques to assess gastric accommodation and to quantify meal-induced symptoms. It uses nutrient-containing solution instead of water and has been proposed as a surrogate method for estimating gastric volumes and validated for assessing satiation, sensation of bothersome symptoms after meal ingestion. Various nutrient-containing solution and drinking rates have been used and there were no widely accepted reference values for nutrient drink test until now. However, tests results are usually reported as the maximum tolerated volume, individual and cumulative symptom scores. The accommodation response, gastric sensation and gastric emptying may influence the maximum tolerated volume of nutrient drink. Although drink test is a useful tool for assessing gastric accommodation and sensation, it remains unclear exactly what physiologic processes are assessed by nutrient drink tests.